Childhood maltreatment and suicide attempts: A prospective cohort study in Chinese middle school students.

BACKGROUND: Suicide is a global public health crisis, and little evidence has focused on associations between suicide attempts and childhood maltreatment (CM) in Chinese middle school students. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the relationship between childhood maltreatment and suicide attempts and the sex difference in Chinese middle school students. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: In this prospective cohort study, students in grades 7 and 8 filled out the questionnaire at baseline and 6-month follow-up. METHODS: Demographic data, childhood maltreatment, and suicide attempts were surveyed. Depression, anxiety, and stress were measured at baseline as covariates. Logistic regression was employed to measure the impact of childhood maltreatment and its sex differences on suicide attempts. RESULTS: Among 782 students, 39.6 % suffered from childhood maltreatment, and the incidence rate of suicide attempts in 6 months was 4.60 % (36/782). After controlling for covariates, childhood maltreatment (adjusted odds ratio, OR = 2.899, 95%CI = 1.349-6.227) and its subtypes, physical abuse (adjusted OR = 4.077, 95%CI = 1.593-10.505) and emotional neglect (adjusted OR = 2.179, 95%CI = 1.059-4.481) were independent risk factors of suicide attempts. The association remained significant in females but not males, while no interactions between sex and childhood maltreatment were found. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood maltreatment was prevalent in Chinese middle school students and closely associated with the incidence of suicide attempts, which provided valuable evidence for suicide prevention.

The Cryptochrome CryA Regulates Lipid Droplet Accumulation, Conidiation, and Trap Formation via Responses to Light in Arthrobotrys oligospora.

Light is a key environmental factor affecting conidiation in filamentous fungi. The cryptochrome/photolyase CryA, a blue-light receptor, is involved in fungal development. In the present study, a homologous CryA (AoCryA) was identified from the widely occurring nematode-trapping (NT) fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora, and its roles in the mycelial growth and development of A. oligospora were characterized using gene knockout, phenotypic comparison, staining technique, and metabolome analysis. The inactivation of AocryA caused a substantial decrease in spore yields in dark conditions but did not affect spore yields in the wild-type (WT) and ∆AocryA mutant strains in light conditions. Corresponding to the decrease in spore production, the transcription of sporulation-related genes was also significantly downregulated in dark conditions. Contrarily, the ∆AocryA mutants showed a substantial increase in trap formation in dark conditions, while the trap production and nematode-trapping abilities of the WT and mutant strains significantly decreased in light conditions. In addition, lipid droplet accumulation increased in the ∆AocryA mutant in dark conditions, and the mutants showed an increased tolerance to sorbitol, while light contributed to the synthesis of carotenoids. Finally, AoCryA was found to affect secondary metabolic processes. These results reveal, for the first time, the function of a homologous cryptochrome in NT fungi.

AoRan1 Is Involved in Regulating Conidiation, Stress Resistance, Secondary Metabolism, and Pathogenicity in Arthrobotrys oligospora.

Arthrobotrys oligospora is a representative nematode-trapping (NT) fungus that is able to capture, kill, and digest nematodes by producing specialized three-dimensional networks (traps) under nutrient-deprived conditions. Ran1 is a serine/threonine protein kinase that can act as a negative regulator of sexual conjugation and meiosis. However, the specific role of Ran1 remains largely unknown in NT fungi. Here, we identified AoRan1 (AOL_s00004g277) via gene disruption, phenotypic analysis, and metabolomic analysis. Our findings reveal that Aoran1 knockout caused a remarkable increase in conidial production, traps, and nematode feeding efficiency. In addition, the absence of Aoran1 resulted in the accumulation of lipid droplets and increased autophagic levels as well as increased tolerance to cell wall synthesis-disturbing reagents and oxidants. Metabolomic analyses also suggested that AoRan1 is involved in multiple metabolic processes, such as fatty acid biosynthesis. In summary, our results suggest that AoRan1 is crucial in conidiation, pathogenicity, and secondary metabolism. This study's results further our understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which AoRan1 regulates conidiation and trap formation in A. oligospora.

Functional Characterization of Ao4g24: An Uncharacterized Gene Involved in Conidiation, Trap Formation, Stress Response, and Secondary Metabolism in Arthrobotrys oligospora.

Arthrobotrys oligospora is a typical nematode-trapping (NT) fungus, which can secrete food cues to lure, capture, and digest nematodes by triggering the production of adhesive networks (traps). Based on genomic and proteomic analyses, multiple pathogenic genes and proteins involved in trap formation have been characterized; however, there are numerous uncharacterized genes that play important roles in trap formation. The functional studies of these unknown genes are helpful in systematically elucidating the complex interactions between A. oligospora and nematode hosts. In this study, we screened the gene AOL_s00004g24 (Ao4g24). This gene is similar to the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, which was found to play a potential role in trap formation in our previous transcriptome analysis. Here, we characterized the function of Ao4g24 by gene disruption, phenotypic analysis, and metabolomics. The deletion of Ao4g24 led to a remarkable decrease in conidia yield, trap formation, and secondary metabolites. Meanwhile, the absence of Ao4g24 influenced the mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP content, autophagy, ROS level, and stress response. These results indicate that Ao4g24 has crucial functions in sporulation, trap formation, and pathogenicity in NT fungi. Our study provides a reference for understanding the role of unidentified genes in mycelium growth and trap formation in NT fungi.

Development of an indirect ELISA for detecting Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies based on a recombinant TgIMP1 protein.

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is widely spread around the world, which can cause serious harm to immunosuppressed patients. Currently, the commercial test kits are poor at assessing T. gondii infection and vaccine effectiveness, making an urgent need to exploit effective enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with great performance to compensate for this deficiency. Here, the TgIMP1 recombinant protein was expressed in E. coli BL(21) cells. The TgIMP1 was purified with affinity chromatography and the reactivity was retained with anti-TgIMP1 antibodies. The TgIMP1 was then used to develop an indirect ELISA (IMP1-iELISA) and the reaction conditions of IMP1-iELISA were optimized. As a result, the cut-off value was determined to be 0.2833 by analyzing the OD450nm values of forty T. gondii-negative sera. The coefficient of variation of 6 T. gondii-positive sera within and between runs were both less than 10%. The IMP1-iELISA was non-cross-reactive with the sera of cytomegalovirus, herpes virus, rubella virus, Cryptosporidium spp., Theileria spp., Neospora spp. and Plasmodium spp.. Furthermore, the sensitivity and specificity of IMP1-iELISA were 98.9% and 96.7%, respectively, based on testing 150 serum samples. The results suggest that this IMP1-iELISA is specific, sensitive, repeatable and can be applied to the detection of T. gondii infections in the medical and health industries.

Characterizing the Role of AosfgA and AofluG in Mycelial and Conidial Development in Arthrobotrys oligospora and Their Role in Secondary Metabolism.

Arthrobotrys oligospora, a widespread nematode-trapping fungus which can produce conidia for asexual reproduction and form trapping devices (traps) to catch nematodes. However, little is known about the sporulation mechanism of A. oligospora. This research characterized the functions and regulatory roles of the upstream spore-producing regulatory genes, AosfgA and AofluG, in A. oligospora. Our analysis showed that AosfgA and AofluG interacted with each other. Meanwhile, the AofluG gene was downregulated in the ΔAosfgA mutant strain, indicating that AosfgA positively regulates AofluG. Loss of the AosfgA and AofluG genes led to shorter hyphae and more septa, and the ΔAosfgA strain responded to heat and chemical stresses. Surprisingly, the number of nuclei was increased in the mycelia but reduced in the conidia of the ΔAosfgA and ΔAofluG mutants. In addition, after nematode induction, the number and volume of vacuoles were remarkably increased in the ΔAosfgA and ΔAofluG mutant strains. The abundance of metabolites was markedly decreased in the ΔAosfgA and ΔAofluG mutant strains. Collectively, the AosfgA and AofluG genes play critical roles in mycelial development, and they are also involved in vacuole assembly, the stress response, and secondary metabolism. Our study provides distinct insights into the regulatory mechanism of sporulation in nematode-trapping fungi.

AoPrdx2 Regulates Oxidative Stress, Reactive Oxygen Species, Trap Formation, and Secondary Metabolism in Arthrobotrys oligospora.

Prdx2 is a peroxiredoxin (Prx) family protein that protects cells from attack via reactive oxygen species (ROS), and it has an important role in improving the resistance and scavenging capacity of ROS in fungi. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a widespread nematode-trapping fungus that can produce three-dimensional nets to capture and kill nematodes. In this study, AoPrdx2, a homologous protein of Prx5, was investigated in A. oligospora via gene disruption, phenotypic analysis, and metabolomics. The deletion of Aoprdx2 resulted in an increase in the number of mycelial septa and a reduction in the number of nuclei and spore yield. Meanwhile, the absence of Aoprdx2 increased sensitivity to oxidative stresses, whereas the ∆Aoprdx2 mutant strain resulted in higher ROS levels than that of the wild-type (WT) strain. In particular, the inactivation of Aoprdx2 severely influenced trap formation and pathogenicity; the number of traps produced by the ∆Aoprdx2 mutant strain was remarkably reduced and the number of mycelial rings of traps in the ∆Aoprdx2 mutant strain was less than that of the WT strain. In addition, the abundance of metabolites in the ∆Aoprdx2 mutant strain was significantly downregulated compared with the WT strain. These results indicate that AoPrdx2 plays an indispensable role in the scavenging of ROS, trap morphogenesis, and secondary metabolism.

Identification of a transcription factor AoMsn2 of the Hog1 signaling pathway contributes to fungal growth, development and pathogenicity in Arthrobotrys oligospora.

INTRODUCTION: Arthrobotrys oligospora has been utilized as a model strain to study the interaction between fungi and nematodes owing to its ability to capture nematodes by developing specialized traps. A previous study showed that high-osmolarity glycerol (Hog1) signaling regulates the osmoregulation and nematocidal activity of A. oligospora. However, the function of downstream transcription factors of the Hog1 signaling in the nematode-trapping (NT) fungi remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the functions and potential regulatory network of AoMsn2, a downstream transcription factor of the Hog1 signaling pathway in A. oligospora. METHODS: The function of AoMsn2 was characterized using targeted gene deletion, phenotypic experiments, real-time quantitative PCR, RNA sequencing, untargeted metabolomics, and yeast two-hybrid analysis. RESULTS: Loss of Aomsn2 significantly enlarged and swollen the hyphae, with an increase in septa and a significant decrease in nuclei. In particular, spore yield, spore germination rate, traps, and nematode predation efficiency were remarkably decreased in the mutants. Phenotypic and transcriptomic analyses revealed that AoMsn2 is essential for fatty acid metabolism and autophagic pathways. Additionally, untargeted metabolomic analysis identified an important function of AoMsn2 in the modulation of secondary metabolites. Furtherly, we analyzed the protein interaction network of AoMsn2 based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway map and the online website STRING. Finally, Hog1 and six putative targeted proteins of AoMsn2 were identified by Y2H analysis. CONCLUSION: Our study reveals that AoMsn2 plays crucial roles in the growth, conidiation, trap development, fatty acid metabolism, and secondary metabolism, as well as establishes a broad basis for understanding the regulatory mechanisms of trap morphogenesis and environmental adaptation in NT fungi.

The association between childhood maltreatment and internet addiction among Chinese junior middle school students: prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Childhood maltreatment is associated with internet addiction, but most evidence is from retrospective studies. AIMS: We aimed to investigate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and internet addiction through a prospective cohort design. METHOD: In a prospective cohort study, self-reported data on childhood maltreatment (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire - Short Form) at baseline, and internet addiction (Revised Chinese Internet Addiction Scale) at baseline and 6-month follow-up, were collected online from 756 Chinese junior middle school students aged 11-15 years and residing in Changsha, Hunan Province. Demographic data and covariates such as depression, anxiety, stress (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21) and insomnia (Athens Insomnia Scale) were also surveyed at baseline. Logistic regression analysis measured the association between childhood maltreatment and internet addiction, and gender-related differences. RESULTS: Childhood maltreatment was prevalent in Chinese junior middle school students (37.83%), and the incidence rate of internet addiction was 9.26% at the 6-month follow-up. Emotional abuse was a significant risk factor for internet addiction (adjusted odds ratio 2.618, 95% CI 1.194-5.738; P = 0.016) in both males and females. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests a high prevalence of childhood maltreatment in Chinese junior middle school students, and that emotional abuse plays a significant role in internet addiction. More attention should be paid to parenting style and adolescents' mental health.

p21-activated kinase is involved in the sporulation, pathogenicity, and stress response of Arthrobotrys oligospora under the indirect regulation of Rho GTPase-activating protein.

The p21-GTPase-activated protein kinases (PAKs) participate in signal transduction downstream of Rho GTPases, which are regulated by Rho GTPase-activating proteins (Rho-GAP). Herein, we characterized two orthologous Rho-GAPs (AoRga1 and AoRga2) and two PAKs (AoPak1 and AoPak2) through bioinformatics analysis and reverse genetics in Arthrobotrys oligospora, a typical nematode-trapping (NT) fungus. The transcription analyses performed at different development stages suggested that Aopaks and Aorga1 play a crucial role during sporulation and trap formation, respectively. In addition, we successfully deleted Aopak1 and Aorga1 via the homologous recombination method. The disruption of Aopak1 and Aorga1 caused a remarkable reduction in spore yield and the number of nuclei per cell, but did not affect mycelial growth. In ∆Aopak1 mutants, the trap number was decreased at 48 h after the introduction of nematodes, but nematode predatory efficiency was not affected because the extracellular proteolytic activity was increased. On the contrary, the number of traps in ∆Aorga1 mutants was significantly increased at 36 h and 48 h. In addition, Aopak1 and Aorga1 had different effects on the sensitivity to cell-wall-disturbing reagent and oxidant. A yeast two-hybrid assay revealed that AoPak1 and AoRga1 both interacted with AoRac, and AoPak1 also interacted with AoCdc42. Furthermore, the Aopaks were up-regulated in ∆Aorga1 mutants, and Aorga1 was down-regulated in ∆Aopak1 mutants. These results reveal that AoRga1 indirectly regulated AoPAKs by regulating small GTPases.

Prevalence and associated factors of internet addiction among Chinese adolescents: association with childhood trauma.

Introduction: Internet addiction (IA) is common among adolescents and may have severe consequences. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with IA among middle school students of Hunan Province, China. Relevance between IA and childhood trauma was also explored. Methods: One thousand six hundred ten students were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Data collected included demographics; internet addiction (revised-Chen internet addiction scale); childhood trauma (CTQ-SF); depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms (DASS-21); suicidal behaviors, as well as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Cramer's V analysis, univariable logistic regression and multivariable logistic regression were used for associations and identifying independent relevance of IA, respectively. Results: The prevalence of IA was 12.8%. Cramer's V analysis showed that IA was associated with emotional abuse, emotional and physical neglect, NSSI, suicidal behaviors, stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, physical disorder history. Regression analysis showed that IA was independently associated with emotional neglect (OR = 3.062, 95% CI: 2.083, 4.501, p < 0.001); physical neglect (OR = 2.328; 95% CI: 1.590, 3.409, p < 0.001); depressive symptoms (OR = 2.218, 95% CI: 1.467, 3.353, p < 0.001) nationality (OR = 1.888, 95% CI: 1.034, 3.447, p = 0.006) and age (OR = 1.253, 95% CI: 1.066, 1.471, p = 0.006). Discussion: IA is common among middle school students. Attention should be paid to students with childhood trauma since they have a higher risk for IA, which may increase the risk for suicidal behaviors.

Case report: A novel frameshift mutation in BRSK2 causes autism in a 16-year old Chinese boy.

Serine/threonine protein kinases are involved in axon formation and neuronal polarization and have recently been implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). Here, we focus on BRSK2, which encodes brain-specific serine/threonine protein kinase 2. Although previous studies have reported 19 unrelated patients with BRSK2 pathogenic variation, only 15 of 19 patients have detailed clinical data. Therefore, more case reports are needed to enrich the phenotype associated with BRSK2 mutations. In this study, we report a novel de novo frameshift variant (c.442del, p.L148Cfs*39) identified by exome sequencing in a 16 year-old Chinese boy with ASD. The proband presented with attention-deficit, auditory hallucinations, limb tremor, and abnormal brain electrical activity mapping. This study expands the phenotypic spectrum of BRSK2-related cases and reveals the highly variable severity of disorders associated with BRSK2.

Potential antidepressant-like effects of N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids through inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress.

RATIONALE: The growing evidence has demonstrated the importance of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in the pathophysiology of depression. ERS genes were considered to be potential novel therapeutic targets for depression. OBJECTIVES: To clarify the mechanisms of the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced ERS response and the potential contributing pathways in depression, and further investigate the potential link between N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and stress-induced ERS disturbances. METHODS: This study analyzed the expression of ERS-related genes including GRP78, ATF-4, ATF-6, XBP-1, and CHOP, and sigma-1R with real-time PCR in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) RNA samples from participants. All of the rats except for those in the control groups were subjected to 5 consecutive weeks of CUMS to establish the depression model, and the antidepressant effects of N-3 PUFAs were observed by behavior tests. Moreover, the effect of diet and stress on the ERS pathways was also investigated using the western blot. RESULTS: Blood CHOP, ATF-4, and XBP-1 levels were notably elevated in depressed patients relative to healthy individuals. Moreover, increased sigma-1R and decreased ATF-6 implied the protective role of sigma-1R through modulating ERS in patients with depression. Animal studies disclosed the novel findings that supplementary N-3 PUFAs in rats alleviated CUMS-induced disturbance of ERS through the ATF-4/XBP-1/CHOP pathway, implying its potential strategy for depression. CONCLUSION: CUMS-induced depressive-like behaviors are related to the disturbance of ERS. Furthermore, supplementary N-3 PUFAs might be an effective way to alleviate ERS.

Emotional abuse and depressive symptoms among the adolescents: the mediation effect of social anxiety and the moderation effect of physical activity.

Background: Childhood maltreatment has been identified as a risk factor for depressive symptoms. Social anxiety is closely associated with depression. Physical activity has been regarded as an underlying protective factor. Little is known about the complex relations among these factors in Chinese middle school students. This study aimed to explore whether social anxiety mediated the association between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms and investigate whether physical activity moderated the indirect or direct effect of the mediation model. Methods: A total of 1,570 middle school students were recruited and measured for childhood maltreatment (measured by Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form Chinese version), social anxiety (as the mediator, measured by the Chinese simplified version of Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents), depressive symptoms (measured by the Chinese version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21), physical activity (as the moderator), and covariates such as age, sex, and nationality. The proposed relationships were tested using mediation and moderated mediation models. Results: Emotional abuse was directly associated with depression, and the association between emotional abuse and depression was partially mediated by social anxiety. The associations between emotional abuse with depression and with social anxiety were moderated by physical activity. Conclusion: This study revealed the mediating role of social anxiety and the moderating role of physical activity between emotional abuse and depression, which emphasizes the potential benefits of sufficient physical activity to reduce social anxiety and depressive symptoms, and more intervention studies should be conducted to explore the direct influence of sufficient physical activity in the future.

The relationship between emotional neglect and non-suicidal self-injury among middle school students in China: the mediating role of social anxiety symptoms and insomnia.

BACKGROUND: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a vital public concern around the world, and it often starts in adolescence. Emotional neglect (EN) has been considered a distal risk factor for NSSI, but the effects of social anxiety symptoms (SA) and insomnia on this relationship have remained unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential pathways from EN to NSSI, examining the role of SA and insomnia in this association. METHODS: One thousand three hundred thirty seven Chinese middle school students (Mage = 13.040, SD = 0.981, 50.2% males) in China were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed the Emotional Neglect sub-scale of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF), the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescent (SAS-A), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and non-suicidal self-injury assessment. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the possible mediation model among these variables. RESULTS: 231(17.3%) students reported NSSI history during last year and 322 (24.1%) participants reported experiences of EN. Students who experienced EN have higher rates of NSSI compared to students without EN history (29.2% vs 13.5%). EN, SA, insomnia and NSSI were positively related to each other. Furthermore, both SA and insomnia played a mediating role in the relationship between EN and NSSI, the series mediating effect of SA and insomnia on this association was also significant after controlling for demographics. Indirect effects accounted for 58.26% of the total effects (EN → NSSI). CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that EN was associated with NSSI, SA and insomnia play indirect roles in the association between EN and NSSI. The findings of our research may have implications for clinicians, families, and schools in their efforts to lower the risk of NSSI in adolescents.

Cyberbullying among college students in a Chinese population: Prevalence and associated clinical correlates.

Objectives: Cyberbullying is quite common in adolescents and college students, and it influences mental health in many aspects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of cyberbullying in Chinese college students and to look for related factors. Methods: Eight thousand and ninety-eight college students aged 17-26 were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. We collected information of their sociodemographic data, depression (evaluated by Self-Rating Depression Scale), anxiety (evaluated by Self-Rating Anxiety Scale), lifetime suicidal behaviors (including suicidal ideation, suicidal plans, and suicide attempts), and experiences of cyberbullying for the past 12 months by online questionnaires. Results: The prevalence of cyberbullying for the past 12 months was 7.82% (633/8,098) among college students. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that sex (odds ratio, OR = 0.522, 95%CI = 0.433-0.629, p < 0.001), suicide attempts (OR = 2.164, 95%CI = 1.589-2.948, p < 0.001), depression (OR = 2.372, 95%CI = 1.602-3.512, p < 0.001), and anxiety (OR = 1.911, 95%CI = 1.305-2.800, p = 0.001) were independently associated with cyberbullying. Conclusion: Cyberbullying is very common among college students in Hunan Province, China. Besides, being male, suicide attempts, depression and anxiety were independently associated with cyberbullying, which highlights the importance of paying attention to cyberbullying and addressing anxiety, depression, and suicidal behaviors among college students to better improve their mental health and prevent suicide.

Associations between anxiety, depression, and risk of suicidal behaviors in Chinese medical college students.

Background: Previous studies have established a strong association between depression and suicidal behaviors, yet the relationship between anxiety and suicidal behaviors remains unclear. This study examines whether anxiety and depression are independent risk factors for suicidal behaviors in medical college students, and further, whether anxiety may increase the greater risk of suicidal behaviors (SB) in participants with depression. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 4,882 medical students. Demographic information, anxiety, and depression data were collected using online questionnaires or through a widely used social media app named WeChat. Results: Anxiety and depression were independent risk factors for suicidal behaviors, and levels of risk correlated positively with the severity of both anxiety and depressive symptoms. A dose-response relationship was identified between the severity of anxiety and the risk of SB, as well as the severity of depression and SB. Furthermore, anxiety increased the risk of suicidal behaviors in participants with depression, with a dose-response relationship between the severity of anxiety symptoms and the risk of SB. Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of screening for anxiety and depressive symptoms in medical college students, as well as reducing anxiety in addition to depressive symptoms in treatment. This study provides valuable data as a reference for clinicians for suicide risk assessments.

Eating disorders among middle school students in a Chinese population: Prevalence and associated clinical correlates.

INTRODUCTION: Eating disorders are regarded to be associated with many psychological and behavioral problems. Moreover, adolescence has been reported to be the key period for developing eating habits, and eating disorders typically emerge in adolescence and early adulthood. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of eating disorders and explore the associated factors among adolescents in Hunan province, China METHODS: A total of 1610 middle school students from Hunan province, China, were enrolled in this study. The participants were aged from 11 to 16 years old. The following data were collected: demographic variables, Body Mass Index (BMI), suicidal behaviors, non-suicidal self-injury, depression, anxiety, stress (depression - anxiety - stress scale, DASS-21), childhood trauma (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, CTQ), symptoms of social anxiety (Social Anxiety Scale-Adolescents, SAS-A), and eating problems (Eating Attitudes Test, EAT-26). RESULTS: The estimated prevalence of eating disorders was 8.9%. Compared with participants without eating disorders, participants with eating disorders were more likely to be at a younger age, obese and overweight, and have a history of non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation, suicidal plans, suicide attempts, emotional abuse, physical abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect; more likely to experience stress, anxiety or depression as well as have high scores of social avoidance and distress related to general social contexts. Anxiety, emotional neglect, physical neglect, obesity, and overweight were still significant in the binary logistic regression model after controlling for confounding factors. Additionally, younger age, emotional abuse, physical abuse, stress, anxiety, depression, social avoidance, and distress related to general social contexts were significantly correlated with the EAT-26 scores in correlation analysis CONCLUSIONS: Eating disorders are quite common among middle school students. Moreover, eating disorders are associated with younger age, non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, stress, anxiety, depression, emotional abuse, physical abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect, social avoidance, and distress related to general social contents and BMI. This study provides a reference for school counselors and clinicians in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders.

Decreased gray matter volume is associated with theory of mind deficit in adolescents with schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia patients often suffer from deficit in theory of mind (TOM). Prior neuroimaging studies revealed neuroimaging correlates of TOM deficit in adults with schizophrenia, neuroimaging correlates of TOM in adolescents is less well established. This study aimed to investigate gray matter volume (GMV) abnormalities and TOM deficits in schizophrenic adolescents, and examine the relationship between them. Twenty adolescent schizophrenic patients and 25 age, sex-matched healthy controls underwent T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and were examined for TOM based on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RMET). Univariate voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and multivariate source-based morphometry (SBM) were employed to examine alterations of two GMV phenotypes in schizophrenic adolescents: voxel-wise GMV and covarying structural brain patterns (SBPs). Compared with controls, our results revealed a significant deficit in RMET performance of the patients, Voxel-wise VBM analysis revealed that patients exhibited decreased GMV in bilateral insula, orbitofrontal cortex, and right rolandic operculum, and GMV of these brain regions were positively correlated with RMET performance. Multivariate SBM analysis identified a significantly different between-group SBP comprising of bilateral insula and inferior frontal cortex, bilateral superior temporal cortex, and bilateral lateral parietal cortex and right rolandic operculum. The loading scores of this SBP was positively correlated with RMET performance. This study revealed impairment of TOM ability in schizophrenic adolescents and revealed an association between TOM deficit and decreased GMV in regions which are crucial for social cognition, thereby provided insight and possible target regions for understanding the neural pathology and normalizing TOM deficit in adolescent schizophrenia patients.

Prevalence and associated factors of minimally invasive facial cosmetic surgery in Chinese college students.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive facial cosmetic surgery (MIFCS) is becoming more and more popular and acceptable in Chinese young people, and it influences people in many aspects. However, there is little research on the associations between MIFCS and psychopathology in Chinese college students. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of MIFCS and its associated factors among Chinese college students. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was applied in this study. A total of 8089 students completed an online questionnaire on demographic data, depressive symptoms (Self-Rating Depression Scale), anxiety symptoms (Self-Rating Anxiety Scale) and MIFCS. Logistic regression was used to identify independent factors associated with MIFCS. RESULTS: The prevalence of MIFCS in Chinese college students was 2.7% (221/8098). Students with MIFCS were more likely to be from urban areas, from a single child household, experience depression or anxiety and have a history of smoking (all p < 0.05). They were also less likely to be right-handed or have a good relationship with father or mother (all p < 0.05). Binary logistic regression showed that older age (OR,1.162; 95%CI [1.061,1.273]), female sex (OR,1.837; 95%CI [1.352, 2.497]), community (urban) (OR,0.601; 95%CI [0.441,0.818]), right-handedness (OR,0.668; 95%CI [0.454,0.985]), depressive symptoms (OR, 4.708; 95%CI [1.690,13.112]), family income (30,000-70,000 yuan per year) (OR,0.572; 95%CI [0.403,0.812]) and smoking (OR,1.571; 95%CI [1.09,2.423]) were independently associated with MIFCS. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive facial cosmetic surgery (MIFCS) is very common in Chinese college students, indicating the importance of paying attention to MIFCS. This study provides valuable evidence for college counselors and doctors in the cosmetic department to provide better and healthier services to students who undergo MIFCS, especially those with depressive symptoms.